Equate VS Neutrogena

I figured that I'd do a review and comparison on Equate's Face Lotion and Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle cream, since they are right next to eachother at Walmart (our Walmart, atleast) and Equate boasts that its active ingredients are comparable to that of Neutrogena's. I use the Neutrogena and I bought the Equate for the hubby to use and I figured it was working fine for him since he wasn't complaining. But one day I decided to try it for myself and was horrified of the HUGE difference in quality.

Equate Face Lotion multi-vitamin facial treatment with AHA spf 15

Product Description: Reduces the appearance of fine lines; prevents premature lines & wrinkles, Alpha-Hydroxy Acid gently sloughs dull, damaged skin to ease away fine lines, blotches & discolorations. Vitamin A & Pro-V Vitamin B5 increase firmness & build moisture levels. Anti-Oxidant Vitamins C & E help protect new skin & fight skin damage. Formulated to improve the texture & appearance of the skin. Oil Free. Non-Comedogenic (Won't Clog Pores), Lightweight, Non-Greasy.

Active ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Oxybenzone 5.0%,

Inactive ingredients: Purified Water, Glycolic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dicaprylyl Meleate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearage, Sodium Glycolate, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Polypeptide, Panthenol, Bisabolol, Tetrasodium Edta, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea, Fragrance

Pros: inexpensive, hygenic pump bottle

Cons: perfume-y fragrance, bottle doesn't let you control how much product comes out, texture is somewhat thick, feels heavy, greasy, a little sticky, takes long to absorb.

What I thought about it: I figured that since this was only around $6, that it wouldn't be THE greatest, but I figured it wouldn't be THIS far from Neutrogena's. Idk if it's just the bottle I bought, but this lotion is NOT lightweight, it felt quite heavy and greasy IMO and it was thick and took some time to smooth on. After applied, I felt like a sticky film was on my face, as it took awhile to absorb. It didn't feel as though my skin was smoother or softer either. It also has a strong smell and although the pump bottle is better than a tub, it doesn't let you control how much product comes out and you end up with a lot more than you need. Neither of us had any adverse reactions so I'm assuimg the AHA is not too concentrated, but it does seem to provide enough sun protection and moisture.

VERSUS

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-wrinkle cream spf 15

CLICK HERE for the full review

Active Ingredients: Ensulizole (1%), Octinoxate (6%)

Inactive Ingredients: Water, C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Retinol, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 20, Methylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Butylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, BHT, Carbomer

Pros: lightweight formula, absorbs quickly, no scent, a little goes a long way, you can control the amount you want to use (it's in a tube), smooths on easily, not sticky, no filmy feeling once applied, softens and smoothes skin complexion

Cons: pricey ($13)

What I thought about it: This is by far the BEST moisturizer I have ever used. It's lightweight, easy to apply, non-greasy/sticky, absorbs quickly, and gives lasting moisture and protection without feeling heavy or oily. At first, I thought that it will run out quickly, but just a pearl sized amount of this is enough to cover your whole face, so it should last quite awhile. The sun protection is definitely a plus. After only one day of using this cream, my skin became smooth and soft.

COMPARISON

So, if you compare the ingredients, the shared active ingredient is Octinoxate (sun protection) in different concentrations. The higher the concentration, the greasier the product will be (since it's not water soluble); which would attribute to Equate's being greasier.

Equate's other active ingredient is Oxybenzone, which is used to protect against UVB and short-wave UVA. It has a host of controversies, which can be read about here. In short, it can increase free radicals and is similar to benzophenone, which is well known to attack DNA when illuminated.

Neutrogena's other active ingredient is Ensulizole; which is "water-soluble and it has the characteristic of feeling lighter on skin. As such, it is often used in sunscreen lotions or moisturizers whose aesthetic goal is a non-greasy finish," which would explain why Neutrogena's is so much lighter and smoother. It is primarily a UVB protecting agent and provides only minimal UVA protection.

If you look at the inactive ingredients, there are common and shared ones. However, Neutrogena contains more parabens than Equate but Equate has added fragrance and Diazolidinyl Urea (a Formaldehyde releaser). Also, Neutrogena's contains Retinol and Equate contains Retinyl palmitate, an ester of Retinol.

So after taking a look and doing some research about the ingredients in Equate and Neutrogena's similar products, I'd definitely pay $7 more for Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-wrinkle cream since the quality, texture, and noticeable effects are so much better and the ingredients are relatively safer than those found in Equate's Face Lotion. In this case, you definitely pay for quality and I would NOT reccommend the Equate lotion, even if it seems like a comparative buy!